England vs Samoa – Semi-Final – Preview & Prediction | 2022 Rugby League World Cup
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THE FACTS
When is England vs Samoa on and what time does it start? England vs Samoa will take place on Saturday 12th November, 2022 – 14:30 (UK)
Where is England vs Samoa taking place? England vs Samoa will take place at Emirates Stadium in London, England
Where can I get tickets for England vs Samoa? Visit this link for the latest ticket information for England vs Samoa
What channel is England vs Samoa on in the UK? England vs Samoa will be televised live on BBC in the UK
Where can I stream England vs Samoa in the UK? England vs Samoa can be streamed live on BBC iPlayer in the UK
THE TEAM NEWS
ENGLAND
- England were magnificent as they blitzed Papua New Guinea in the opening 30 minutes of last week’s quarter-final which ultimately did enough to secure the victory and set-up this mouth-watering clash with Samoa.
- Tommy Makinson grabbed the headlines last week with a record-breaking five-try performance and he along with fellow winger Dom Young will be key here in what is likely to be a side that contains just one change with Matty Lees dropping out of the 19-man squad at the expense of Luke Thompson.
Squad: 1 Sam Tomkins, 2 Tommy Makinson, 3 Kallum Watkins, 4 Herbie Farnworth, 6 Jack Welsby, 7 George Williams, 8 Tom Burgess, 9 Micky McIlorum, 10 Luke Thompson, 11 Elliott Whitehead, 12 John Bateman, 13 Victor Radley, 14 Dom Young, 15 Morgan Knowles, 17 Mike Cooper, 18 Chris Hill, 20 Mike McMeeken, 21 Marc Sneyd, 24 Kai Pearce-Paul
SAMOA
- Samoa got the better of the battle of the Pacific nations as they overcame rivals Tonga in a pulsating clash last week which saw them advance to the semi-finals of the Rugby League World Cup for the first time in their history.
- The Samoans were handed a boost when boom fullback Joseph Suaalii avoided a ban for a high knee while skipper Junior Paulo won an appeal against a one-match striking ban but Danny Levi will not take part here due to personal reasons along with prop Martin Taupau who has been a late withdrawal from the 19-man squad through injury so Connolly Lemuelu could get a chance in the 17.
Squad: 1 Joseph Suaalii, 2 Taylan May, 4 Stephen Crichton, 5 Brian To’o, 6 Jarome Luai, 7 Anthony Milford, 8 Josh Papali’i, 10 Junior Paulo, 11 Ligi Sao, 12 Jaydn Su’a, 15 Royce Hunt, 16 Spencer Leniu, 20 Chanel Harris-Tavita, 21 Fa’amanu Brown, 22 Kelma Tuilagi, 23 Oregon Kaufusi, 25 Tim Lafai, 26 Ken Sio, 27 Connolly Lemuelu
THE PREDICTION
England executed a perfect gameplan to open their game with Papua New Guinea last week which saw them open a 38-0 lead at the break. They were able to take their foot off the gas in the second half and Shaun Wane will be hoping his side can match that first half performance in this intriguing clash with Samoa. The Samoans opened the tournament with a huge 60-6 defeat to the host nation in their first game but have improved every game since then and were brilliant in their quarter-final win over Tonga. They will have revenge in mind here and while they are capable of coming out on top, England’s consistency in this tournament cannot be ignored so they are favoured to edge this one and book their spot at Old Trafford.
